Winter's End
by ChloeOfNarnia
Summary: Jatari is a young minotaur training as a soldier in the Narnian army. When war comes to her home of Cair Paravel, she is excited to see her first battle. But her father, the General, has a different plan for her. Movie Verse. Rated M for violence.


My favourite book in the CON series has always been the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. And the movie made me fall even more in love with the story, as it let my imagination go even deeper into that enchanting world. As with any story, I imagine a book or a movie to be a retelling of an actual event. So I have always wondered about the other perspectives. Who else had a part in this event? What was their story?

Lewis retold the event in a very black and white fashion so that children could understand. But nothing is ever black or white. What did Lewis leave out? The movie filled in a few gaps. But what did things look like from the view of Cair Paravel? Who would have lived there? What was their story?

Welcome to my imagination!

"What is it, father?"

"I think it is Spring."

Indeed, this was spring. Water dripped from every overhang and rooftop in the Citadel of Cair Paravel. Jatari, the daughter of General Otmin, stood with her father on a balcony. She was jet black, like her father, but much smaller, and her horns were still short. She was amazed by the beauty around her. Trees that had been bare or snow covered for the entirety of Jatari's life had transformed into living creatures of green and blossoms of pink and white. The air was warm; something strange and invigorating. The sea was even clear! She saw blue sky to the east for the first time in months. The dark grey clouds and cold winds that always came from that direction were gone.

Jatari looked away from the sea and down from the balcony they were standing on, to the city gates below.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" she asked.

Leaving through the gates was a steady trickle of creatures; centaurs, fauns, unicorns, dwarfs, and many talking beasts.

"I don't really think so," replied General Otmin. "We have had a hundred years of secrecy when our enemies pretended to be our friends yet plotted to kill us. Today they show us who they are. If they wish to join the army of the demon lion, we will let them do so, and they will soon see the wrath of the Queen."

Jatari and her father continued to watch in silence. Neither would admit it, but they were enjoying the warmth and freshness of the new spring. Neither had experienced anything other than winter in their lives, and this was something welcome.

A third minotaur walked up. She was golden blonde, and had slightly longer, shaggier hair than the other two. This was Commander Astriul, Otmin's mate. She stood beside the General, and leaned against the solid stone balcony railing. Looking down at the creatures leaving through the gates below, she couldn't help but comment. "Mercy is more than they deserve. The rumor is they head for Beruna where they will amass an army. Let me take my soldiers and kill them on their way."

"Then their fears would be validated," said Otmin. "Look at the progress we have made. It would be a hundred years for nothing. I will not start this war. They must make the first move."

"Progress, pah! Look down there," Astriul said pointing at the gates, "And tell me now what has been accomplished!? Decades of tense coexistence; I see no unity. I see no cooperation. I see no safety. Everything that has ever been preached at us is now walking out those gates. They will give us back our mercy with the lance and arrow."

"They will not all leave," replied Otmin. "There are some that can see logic. Unity and cooperation are not dead. All those that stay will be welcomed in that unity. My mercy for the rest is undeserved, but the Queen will take care of it."

Presently, a heavy and deep sounding bell began to ring out. The three minotaurs looked at each other.

"It is too early," said Jatari.

They all knew the sound well. It was the large bell that hung in the great tower of Helen's Chapel. The chapel was a great hall that the first king Frank had set aside near the end of his reign as a sacred place in the castle, and had named it after his deceased wife. Every evening, after super, the bell would ring, and people from all over the citadel would go to the chapel to pray or meditate or sing and dance, or listen to the spiritual leaders and prophets speak. (For the past hundred years however, the name of Aslan had not been spoken there) But it was much too early for the bell to be ringing for that.

"Astruil, find out what is going on down there," said Otmin.

"Yes, General," replied Astruil, already leaving. "Jatari, come with me."

The two female minotaurs walked swiftly through the halls and courtyards and came presently to the training yard. Astruil quickly assembled a hundred soldiers, and then she and Jatari led the procession for Helen's Chapel. Before they were half way they met a young squirrel. She was panting heavily and you could easily tell she had been crying.

"Master's, please!" cried the squirrel upon seeing them, "They have taken over the temple! Morticci is dead and Mirium is locked in the Bell Tower! Please hurry!"

"Get yourself somewhere safe, child," said Astriul. "Soldiers," she yelled, "Take arms!"

Jatari drew her large curved sword. With Astriul leading, the soldiers broke into a brisk run. Their path became crowded. Many people were heading to the chapel, to see why the bell was ringing. Most of them dissipated quickly when they saw the soldiers.

"Get out of the way!" Astriul was shouting. "Go home!" she bellowed, knocking a faun out of her way. "Everybody get back! GO HOME!"

Some people followed the soldiers at a distance. Presently they came to the Chapel; main doors open wide, bell still ringing. There were hundreds of people there, and a strong voice was carrying clearly through the large hall.

" _He w_ ill overturn evil! End injustice! Upset tyranny! Now is the time! He has broken winter-" and so the voice went on.

"We're going around!" said Astriul. She led her soldiers as fast as she could. "The war could start right here!" she said to Jatari as they ran. Presently, they had skirted the Chapel and now came to a small door, locked tight.

"Break it down!" she shouted. "And when we are inside, our concern is the people. Do not kill unless the need is dire."

As quick as he could, a large male minotaur came forward with a hefty war hammer. He hit the door as hard as he could. Shouts came from the other side. The door was suffered another blow, the latches broke and the door burst opened.

Astriul rushed in, Jatari right behind, and the soldiers filling through after her. People were screaming and scattering everywhere. "Archers, up the stairs and take the balcony!" shouted Astruil. Jatari saw a wolf, badly bloodied and lying very still near the tower door; which was barricaded with tables and chairs.

Then she saw who was speaking to the crowd. It was a middle-aged male centaur; a sorrel, with red hair and beard. He ignored the soldiers and carried on speaking, more desperately now. "Seek him out!" he was saying, practically screaming, "Go and find him, tell every good creature you see! Don't let anyone stop you!"

At this point, three things happened almost simultaneously. The first was that Astruil and three other large soldiers tackled the speaking centaur to the ground. The second was that people began to scream and murmur and leave the Chapel in a mass exodus. And the third was that Jatari kicked away the barricade from the tower door, and Mirium the wolf came rushing out.

"Where are the ones who were here with him!?" Mirium snarled as she paced back and fourth, the hair on her back standing up. "They have killed Morticci! And that one there is a heretic and a deceiver! Kill him! Kill him now!"

"Mirium, stay back!" shouted Astriul, "I am warning you, STAY BACK!"

"Mark my words centaur, this thaw does not mark the start of anything but suffering!" shouted the she wolf.

"For your people, yes!" the centaur snarled back, pinned beneath his captors. "This is the end!"

Mirium lost it. She launched forward with her teeth barred in a snarl, "We are the same people, you old fool!"

Astriul moved quick to hold Mirium back, and one of the minotaurs that had the centaur pinned to the ground hit him on the back of the head, silencing him.

"Take him to the dungeon," said Astruil. "Soldiers!" she shouted, "see to it that this chapel is emptied and locked up."

Suddenly, they heard a cry.

"Commander!"

The shout came from Jatari. She was kneeling beside Morticci the wolf. "He isn't dead! He is still breathing!"

Mirium was beside Jatari in an instant. She nuzzled her mates face and started talking quietly, trying to get a response. Tears began to stream down her face. "They tried to lock us both in the tower, but he fought them," sobbed Mirium. "They trampled him."

It only took a few minutes before a number of fauns came rushing with a stretcher. "We will take him back with us to the infirmary."

As gently as was possible, the fauns placed the wolf on the stretcher.

"I will leave twenty soldiers here to keep the chapel secure," said Astriul. "I'm going back to Otmin and we will take care of the heretical centaur. Jatari, stay with Mirium. When the two of you feel right leaving Morticci, accompany Mirium to the Council Chamber. There will be much to discuss."

"Yes, Commander," said Jatari. She watched as her mother sheathed her sword and left the chapel. Together with the sobbing Mirium Jatari followed the fauns carrying Morticci up to the infirmary. A healer was sent for, and when she arrived everyone was ordered to leave the room.

Jatari thought Mirium might like to wait just outside the door, but the she wolf turned immediately and began to walk down the stairs. Jatari followed wordlessly, glad that they had not wasted much time there. At this rate, the council would be just getting started by the time they got there.

They did not go far however, before Mirium made a turn in the wrong direction.

"Where are we going?" asked Jatari.

The wolf did not answer. Jatari walked awkwardly along behind. She quickly realised that they were heading back to the chapel. The guards by the door let them in without a word, and presently they came to the thick dark purple curtain of the Inner Chamber.

"Mother wolf," said Jatari somberly. "There is no time. As the spiritual leader of this city your presence is needed at the council. . . right away!"

"Come in with me," said Mirium.

Jatari dared not argue. They heavy curtain made a soft swish as they entered.

This was a place Jatari had never been. The lighting was dim; candles were spaced in odd and unsymmetrical locations. They walked between pillars that stretched upwards into darkness, and past an altar with strange and ancient looking engravings. Finally, at the very back of the chamber, they came to a circle painted on the stone floor. All around this were pedestals with unlit candles at the tops.

Mirium called, and two hags came from somewhere and lit the candles. The flames burned blue, and the heavy grey smoke that came from them wandered lazily towards the floor. The smell was strong.

The hags left as silently as they came. And now, the she-wolf sat bolt upright at the centre of the circle with her eyes closed.

Jatari decided to sit as well, and so, the two of them sat there in the quiet dark. The smoke made it hard to think, and soon Jatari found her mind wandering lazily through thoughts of her childhood; sitting by the fire in her father's chamber with the snow falling gently outside, listening to her mother tirelessly trying to teach her and her brothers to read, exploring the castle and surrounding forests, pretending to be a great conqueror like her ancestors. These were her favorite memories.

"Don't think on such things," said Mirium suddenly. "The smoke can make the mind lax, but if used properly, it illuminates what is hidden. Right now, you must focus your mind on the heretical centaur. Think on what happened today, and ask what it means."

Jatari didn't open her eyes. The words did not strike her as strange, and very quickly her thoughts of warmth and comfort and family left her. She saw the centaur; his red hair and beard, his blazing eyes and dramatic hand movements. She heard his strong clear voice. And then she saw Morticci the wolf, lying trampled on the ground.

"Are we here to pray for Morticci?" asked Jatari.

Without opening her eyes, Mirium replied, "Morticci has already been taken by the spirits of the night. His essence has joined the Source of all being. I have not come here to ask for healing for my mate. I came here to find an explanation of the signs. Everything means something. By the thaw we know that the spirits are angry. Morticci's death is a sign that we are out of time."

"Time? To do what?"

"Make peace. For everything I have preached at the people, almost nothing has sunk in. In the history books we read of the tensions and civil wars and rebellions at the start of Winter. Has there been any significant change? The people of this country are still divided, and the spirits are fed up. There is going to be a war. It will be both physical and spiritual. Only one side will make it through."

Behind closed eyes, Jatari could see it. She could see all the peoples of Narnia. On the side of a hill were her people, the minotaurs, and with them the ogers, minoboars, hags, cyclopses, harpies, ankle slicers, boggles, and all the other creatures that had come into Narnia with the White Queen. Standing with these she could also see some wolves, fauns, satyrs, naiads and dryads, dwarves, and some other talking beasts. At the very top of the hill, above all these people, there stood the White Queen.

Across the valley facing these were many other creatures; centaurs, fauns, naiads and dryads, dwarves, satyrs, and all sorts of talking beasts. At the top of this hill there stood a very large and ferocious looking lion. Standing with the lion, Jatari also saw four creatures that she knew were not of her world. They looked like tall, slender, soft dwarves. These four creatures looked very unfriendly.

"What do you see?" asked Mirium.

"I see the people of Narnia, and our Queen," said Jatari. "And opposing them, I see the enemies of peace. Who is the lion," she asked? "And what are those creatures?"

Mirium opened her eyes wide; gaping pupils staring. Jatari felt her skin crawl as the wolf began to speak. "The lion is evil. Through him the spirits have incarnated the false hope of our enemies. He is their hatred embodied. This malevolent demon will lead them in this war. They believe that he will rid Narnia of our Queen and all of us. They believe that he will restore things to the way they were. They anticipate that he will soak this ground in our blood, and once they have killed us all, they hope to rebuild their empire."

"But that will never happen? Will it?"

"The lion is a demon, but his power is only in what he symbolizes. He symbolizes the hatred that our enemies feel for us. He symbolizes chaos. Most of all, he symbolizes their refusal to coexist. Now what do you see?"

"Everyone is fighting." Jatari watched the vision for a short time. Presently she found she could even hear battle sounds; shouts, screams, the clash of metal. She felt a wave of excitement sweep over her body. This was going to be a grand battle, and one she would be proud to be a part of. Suddenly she noticed something. "Nobody is winning," she said.

"Your father wouldn't have noticed, but you are Gifted. Nobody wins in war. Do you see the lion?"

"Yes. He is about to meet our Queen in the very centre. I say, that's the Stone Table! A dark cloud has descended. I can't see."

"I can teach you to see through the clouds, but it takes time. I have seen what I needed. We must go. The messengers are here. Wake up!"

The vision faded in Jatari's mind as she was brought back to chamber. She blinked her eyes, and one final sight flashed before her eyes; the valley erupted into billowing smoke and debris, and the Lion's massive face came bursting through. His teeth were bared in a vicious snarl. In a flash it was all gone. Jatari thought she should say something, but surely Mirium saw it too.

Slightly unnerved, Jatari followed Mirium out of the chapel. They walked hastily through the halls and passages of the castle and came presently to the large mahogany doors of the council chamber.

Jatari watched as Mirium walked in. The young minotaur of course could not enter, as she was only a foot soldier. She looked longingly as the great doors began to close.

"Wait!" boomed her father's strong voice. "Jatari, come in here."

The doors began to open again.

What could this mean? What reason could there possibly be that the council should ask her to stand before them? This only happened to people who had committed a crime, or had information about a crime. Or people who were being commissioned to do a very important task. Even if she was the daughter of the most powerful minotaur in the country, she was still only a soldier in training. What could the council possibly want with her?

She pushed the hair out of her eyes, straightened her posture, and, with hooves clicking on the stone floor, she walked forward to stand at the foot of the oval shaped council table.

"Jatari, daughter of Otmin, foot soldier of the White Army of the Kingdom of Narnia, you are herby promoted to the position of Commander, and have been appointed to sit on this council as an Elder of Cair Paravel. Your seat is right there. And now we must not waste time. Mother Wolf, what do the spirits tell us?"

A very confused Jatari quickly took her seat as Mirium rose and placed her front paws on the table. "The Spirits are angry, General Otmin," she said calmly. "The air is ripe with tension, and the heat of hatred is melting our world as we know it. But fear not, as favor lies with our Queen. The anger of the Spirits lies not on us, but on the enemies of peace. Ample time has been given us to learn to live with one another in this great country, but that time has ended. They think they are better than us; blinded as they are by pious self righteousness and the scars of conflicts far behind us. Elders of the Royal City of Cair Paravel, understand this; within the passing of five nights, our Queen will have killed the Lion, and only one side will remain. This I have seen by my art."

"This then reassures us in what we already knew we had to do," said a dwarf. "The White Army will march on schedule, as per the orders of the Queen."

This statement was followed by a buzz of agreement. But a large raven raised his wing and everyone went silent. "I pray you all to hear me once more," he said. "What the Prophetess now tells us once again proves the redundancy in the General's plan."

"Watch your beak, bird!" growled Otmin. "Or I shall persuade the Queen of your redundancy on this council. Prophetess, have you ever been wrong before?"

The she wolf thought before giving an answer. "To be wrong is a vague notion," she said. "Interpretation of the signs and understanding what the Spirits are saying entails a certain amount of _ambiguity_ and even surprise, but that does not mean-"

"Answer the question!" shouted the General.

Mirium glared at Otmin with evil eyes until a cold shiver began to crawl up his large bovine back. "I have never before been wrong, General. But to give the answer you seek; sometimes the pieces of the future that have been revealed to me unfold in unexpected ways; that is to say, more completely than I had predicted."

"That, councilors, is a tricky way of saying that she might have missed something. We must take every precaution to ensure that the people are kept safe. I therefore refuse to leave the city undefended!"

"General, my orders are from the Queen herself. I must have said it before, but _everyone_ is being ordered to come. We are to muster at the Stone Table," said a wolf that Jatari did not recognize. He must have been a messenger from the Queen.

"It has been said before also, scout, that you are only to speak when spoken to."

"Silly wolf," said a rather overweight and elderly cat, "You can't honestly expect cubs and younglings to fight, or their mothers, or the very elderly and sick. There are many here that would not even survive a march to Beruna, much less be of any use in the battle."

"Well said, Lucius," said Otmin. "But the wolf raises a good point. Just as in the days of old we shall have to make use of every able bodied creature. The Commanders Astriul, Veroce, Grimshac, Brasstus, Omuir, Felisia, and Kiros, with some of their soldiers, will be gathering from the country all those who they deem able to fight. All these will meet with us and the Queen by no later than tomorrow night. The rest of the people they see will be advised to come here, to this city. They must be kept safe from our enemies who lurk in the dark places."

The meeting did not last long after that. A confused Jatari sat silently the whole time. She did not have the slightest clue what was going on, and heeded the old proverb that said even a fool is thought wise if they keep silent.

Finally, Otmin dismissed the councilors saying that time was short. Everyone got up to leave, and naturally Jatari did likewise.

"Commander," boomed Otmin's voice. "Remain a moment. I shall brief you on your assignment."

It took Jatari a moment to realize he was talking to her. She turned around and faced her father as the rest of the councilors walked out and the great mahogany doors thudded closed.

"The White Army marches in less than an hour, Jatari, so listen carefully. Your mother and Brasstus are already gone, and we were supposed to be at the training yard a quarter hour ago, so I will be brief. You and your new regiment are being given a very important task. We cannot leave the city undefended. If everything fails, you must keep our people safe. Your orders, Commander, are to remain in Cair Paravel with your regiment, to keep it a refuge for all those who are unable to fight. Above all, you are to protect our people."

Jatari could not believe what she was hearing. Stay behind? Not fight? How could her father do this to her?

Otmin continued. "Your regiment is waiting for you in the training yard. Have them ready at attention when the army marches. You are dismissed, Commander."

Jatari's head was spinning out of control as she left the council chamber. She was furious. She wanted to smash things. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to kill her father.

She was afraid of nothing else in life besides him. But this was a fear that accompanied respect. Otmin was cold, controlling, abusive, condescending, manipulative, and over defensive. For all these reasons Jatari hated him, but for the same reasons, she admired him too. Otmin was strong. He was brilliant, both as the General of the Army and as a politician.

But he had weaknesses. His only daughter was one of them. Jatari knew why she was not going to be marching to war with the rest of her _real_ regiment; because even in the face of sure victory, Otmin was not confident that his daughter would survive. He did not believe in her skills as a warrior. She resolved that someday she would show him.

An hour later, Jatari stood in attention at the head of her five hundred soldiers, as her Father and the White Army marched in a long procession out the main gate. It was a loud and chaotic ordeal. Many people were lined up beside the streets or on balconies and rooftops or hanging out of windows. All these were cheering and shouting and roaring out encouragement. The Council of Elders all stood in a line on the great balcony protruding from the Throne Room.

On the other side of the massive courtyard, facing Jatari, stood her brother, Commander Omuir. As soon as the White Army was gone, he and his soldiers began turning the courtyard into a massive recruitment centre. Otmin did not want to wait for the civilian soldiers, so Omuir would follow with these later. Many creatures were eager to fight, so the problem was more in turning away those who were unfit. But even still, recruiters went from house to house also.

While all this was going on, Jatari brought her soldiers back to the barracks. The first thing she would have to do would be to choose her sergeants. From what she could tell, her father had left her a useless regiment. She was sure that every Commander volunteered their most underwhelming soldiers to be assigned to this new regiment. But this was no surprise; useless soldiers suited a useless mission.

Jatari put them through some drills, and once she had seen enough she chose two sergeants. The first was a werewolf named Swiftclaw, and the second was a white tigress named Sibra. Both were chosen for their experience; they were ancient. Jatari gave them orders to assemble the regiment and go back to the courtyard to assist in the recruitment process in any way that was needed.

Jatari needed to find her brother. If anyone could or would help her, Omuir was her best bet.

By this time, it was getting on towards evening, and Jatari found her brother in the Lower Banquet Hall. He and his sergeants were sitting at the High Table, and seated at the other tables were certain privileged and honored soldiers from his regiment, as well as a few bureaucrats and noble business creatures from the city. The noise in the room was not quite boisterous, but Jatari thought already that some creatures had dipped into the ale.

As soon as Omuir saw his sister he rose from his seat. He was a rare minotaur; not black or blonde like his parents, but a mousey grey colour, with white patches on his legs; mostly beneath his knees. He was larger than Jatari, but smaller than Otmin and his other brothers. He raised his hand to silence his guests.

"Dearest Sister!" he bellowed jovially, "A hearty congratulations on your promotion." He began to clap his great minotaur hands together, and soon the whole banquet hall broke into polite applause. "Do stay and join us. Slave! A plate for the Commander, and bring another flagon of wine!"

Omiur looked to the sergeant on his right. The ogre took up his plate and moved to an empty seat much closer to the end of the table. Omuir then stood and pulled back the humongous chair for his sister to take a seat.

"Thank you, Brother," she said as she gracefully placed herself in the chair. Presently, two female fauns came up. One was carrying a large plate of food, and the other a large flagon of wine.

Omuir stood again. "Let everyone fill their mug and chalice again, and we shall drink to our Lady, the Commander Jatari! She has found favour in the eyes of the Spirits, and we celebrate the undoubtedly long military career before her. May she bring many victories to this great land in the name of our mighty Queen!"

Jatari saw a few smirking faces and elbow jabbings as the toast carried out. Nobody here was fooled. They knew this was all a scam. Presently everyone began to eat and talk again.

"Don't you think, Brother, that a party would be more fitting _after_ we had won the war?"

Omuir chuckled a little. "Dearest Sister, we won this war as soon as all our enemies left the city. They will gather together from all over the land, and at last, all the enemies of Narnia will be in one spot. The games of cat and mouse are over. We will kill every last one. I can assure you that the party we throw whence we return to Cair will make whatever is happening here look like afternoon tea."

"Still, nothing quite like a brisk march at dawn with a pounding head from the night before. On that topic, will the civilian force be ready to march on schedule?"

"Last I'd heard, the recruitment number was over two thousand. Add the thousand soldiers from my own regiment, and the number leaving at dawn will be close to what Father left with. When Mother and Brasstus and the other Commanders arrive with the rest of the recruits, we are going to be well over twelve thousand strong."

"Good Goddess! This isn't going to be a war; it is going to be a massacre!" whispered Jatari.

"And long overdue at that! How long have we shown them mercy? They don't deserve it any longer."

"And I am going to miss it all."

Omuir did not know what to say. He felt bad for his younger sister, but at the same time, a little smug. For once it suited him just fine not to be his father's favored child.

"Won't you do anything to help me?" Jatari asked finally.

Omuir did not reply. This was not at all a safe place to talk. Either Jatari was totally fearless, or blindingly stupid. Omuir wanted to do something for his sister, but if anything went wrong, and Otmin were to find out, it would be very bad. Omuir was indeed fond of his sister, but he feared his father much to greatly to undermine his orders. Even speaking about these things could mean his demotion, and he knew that most of the people at the table were loyal to his father.

Omuir leaned over to the sergeant on his left. "I grow weary of the Lady's company. Take her to her private chamber."

Jatari rose. "I can find my own way," she said, "And was just leaving anyway."

The female minotaur walked quietly through the halls of Cair Paravel. She did not want to go to her chamber yet, so she wandered aimlessly. Resigning herself to the fact that Omuir was not going to help her, she decided that she would sneak into the city, disguise herself, and join the civilian army.

But first she would have to lose the soldier that her brother sent to keep an eye on her.

The creature was quiet; likely a werewolf, Jatari thought. She decided she would pass through her parents' chambers, as the guards there would not let the soldier follow her further.

As she rounded a corner, she almost walked over Lucius.

"Commander Jatari," said the cat, in an old and gritty voice. "I have been looking for you. Could I have a word?"

Suppressing her irritation, Jatari obliged. "If it is urgent," she said. "Walk with me to my chamber."

As they walked, Jatari tried not to look at Lucius. She had never seen the creature walk before. He was so enormously fat that his underside swung from side to side, and almost dragged on the floor. He was often carried, or else he rode about in a small cart. Jatari wondered why the cat was alone. Perhaps this meeting was supposed to be a secret.

Once they reached Jatari`s chamber and the door was closed, Jatari quickly spoke in a quiet voice. "Elder Lucius, I just want to let you know that my brother has sent a spy to follow me. He is likely just outside the door."

Lucius nodded, and proceeded to speak in a regular tone. "I just wanted to personally congratulate you on your promotion, Commander Jatari. These are exciting times, and exciting circumstances. I believe you will see much success in your lifetime."

"Thank you, Lord Cat. Shall I send a page for some wine?"

"Not on my account. I cannot stay long. My, what a lovely evening it looks outside. Might we step out onto the balcony? I simply cannot help but enjoy this strange weather!"

Jatari opened the door, and the two creatures walked outside. Jatari could not believe how warm it was. The sea breeze played gently with her shaggy hair, and the stars looked brighter than she had even seen. She wanted to throw her hands in the air and dance around. "I had forgotten about the weather," she said with a huge smile, "isn't it wonderful?"

"Oh it feels wonderful alright, but it is very bad. Very bad indeed! The winter was our protection. You are a learned creature, Jatari; I will not cite the histories to you. We should not forget why the winter came, or how indebted we are to the Queen. But I guess it would be reasonable to hope that she will allow Spring to stay, once this threat has been resolved that is."

Jatari suddenly became irritated. Not only was the cat wasting her time, but he had also effectively trapped her in her chamber.

"What do you want, Lucius." Jatari immediately wished that statement had come out less curt. She should not have used the cat's common name.

"Right, of course," said the cat as he jumped awkwardly onto a pedestal near the railing. "Nothing serious or secret, but I was just thinking. For the next number of days, you are going to be the only sitting Commander at council. That makes you the acting chair. I was just wondering if you thought it would be a good idea to call a council meeting tomorrow. I think we should judge and sentence the centaur that was arrested this morning. Now, we would have to wait until after the army left, so I would suggest sometime around morning tea."

Jatari had been so mad about not being able to go to war that she had totally forgotten about the centaur. "Oh yes!" she said quickly. "Are we allowed to do that without Father?

No, they weren't. Everyone knew that the Queen dealt personally with all matters of high treason. Perhaps the centaur would be taken the House, and become a statue; ever to be a reminder of another quashed rebellion. But Lucius and some of the other council members were not going to give up the opportunity to sabotage Otmins reputation before the Queen. The Queen would be absolutely furious to find out that the treasonous centaur had not been brought to her for justice. She would be even more furious to find out this had happened on the authority of a minotaur she didn't appoint to the council, whose appointment she didn't even know about. But Jatari didn't know any of this.

Lucius smiled. "While your father is gone, you are in charge. You can do whatever you want. Besides, the General won't want to deal with that once he returns from war."

"Of course. Let us get that business out of the way. When the armies return, we will only have to worry about the celebrations."

"Good idea. I will let the other councilors know. Now, about tomorrow morning; the entire council is going to stand on the grand balcony to see the civilian army off. You may stand with us if you wish, but we want the defense army to be standing on the south and east walls. The army marches at dawn. We must be up early, so I am going to retire. I really am too old for all this excitement."

Jatari let the cat out of her chamber. She decided that she wanted to be around to pass judgment and sentence on the centaur. She was still not pleased about missing the war, but she decided to stay at Cair.

The next morning Jatari was up well before the sun. She ate quickly and went down to the barracks to assemble her regiment. She was impressed with her two sergeants, as they demonstrated control and order. Soon she was watching her new regiment march out of the barrack courtyard, and through the citadel. Many of the soldiers carried torches, and presently Jatari could see them climbing the stairs of the south wall. Now, 500 soldiers stood all along the tops of the south and east walls; hundreds of torches blazing in the twilight. Once she was satisfied, Jatari went back into the castle, and found the rest of the Council waiting for her in the throne room.

As the sun began to rise over the eastern ocean, horns began to sound. The Council walked out on the grand balcony, and the gates to the main courtyard were opened. More horns sounded, and Omuir's booming voice echoed off the citadel walls as he gave the order to march.

The army began to file through the gates and weave its way through the citadel. Those staying behind looked out of windows and stood in doorways; roaring or shouting encouragement. Some even threw new spring flowers onto the flagstones before the soldiers walked past.

The council stood on the balcony until the last of the soldiers left through the city gates. A final horn blow sounded, and the council walked back into the throne room.

Later that morning, the Council met to sentence the heretical centaur. He stood before them; hands bound, front hooves shackled, and minotaurs holding the chains. A number of council members were not present, including Mirium the prophetess, as the council decided she might become angry and uncontrollable.

"What is your name, Centaur," asked Lucius.

The creature did not reply, or even lift his head.

"Very well," said the cat, "This always goes so much faster when the accused has no name. Jinus, read the charges please."

A female faun, who was furiously writing, stood up from her papers, removed her spectacles, brushed greying bangs out of her eyes, and proceeded to read. "This centaur is in question of committing High Treason against the Royal Kingdom of Narnia. He was found speaking publicly against our Queen and the Winter. His offenses against this citadel are as follows: speaking heresies in a public place of worship, speaking hate speech, promoting division, and the murder of Mortici the prophet."

"Have you anything to say for yourself?"

The centaur raised his head, and Jatari couldn't decide if he looked more sad or angry. "All I have is a warning," said the centaur. "This council will soon be judged by one more powerful than even the witch. You have all forgotten Aslan, but he is real. He is here. And if you do not turn from your evil ways, He will destroy you all. I have seen it in the stars."

"Well," said a dwarf, "I think that about covers it. He obviously stills clings to that evil old religion. Guilty, I say."

"Hold on a moment," said an otter, raising a paw, "I want to hear his interpretation of the stars."

The centaur smiled. "The stars say that Aslan is here. The White Army will fall, the witch will die, and the four thrones will be filled."

"I have heard just about enough," said the raven. "You distort the once beautiful, ancient, faith of Narnia, and twist it into a system of exclusion and hatred. The lion of old symbolizes courage, but never war. This lion we hear of now is gathering an army; therefore he must be a usurper of the Ancient Name, and a demon!"

"High Treason, murder, and heresy are all capital offenses," said the only wolf present. "Since the Stone Table is unavailable, let us decide quickly what we are going to do."

"I have a feeling that a public execution would be most unwise," said Lucius. "We do not want to upset the delicate balance of peace that remains within this city. I suggest we just have it taken care of quietly."

"Any one of the torture chambers would suffice."

"Commander Jatari, I believe this falls under your jurisdiction. Please take care of it right away."

"Oh, and do see to it that the remains are properly taken care of. We do not want any centaur ending up in the food supply. Let us all remember the crisis of 978!"

A dwarf slammed a small wooden hammer on the table. "Council adjourned! Jinus, please make sure the records for this meeting are included in the next report to the House."

Jatari took the centaur back through the castle, down and down into the depths where the torture chambers and dungeons were. His hands were still tied, and his feet still shackled. Jatari had two minotaurs holding the chains, and ten soldiers following. Once they reached the chamber, and the centaur was bound securely, Jatari ordered her soldiers to wait for her outside. She wanted to speak to the creature alone.

"Do you know, I have never set foot in any of these chambers before?" she said as she placed herself gently in a large chair. "In fact, I find it rather disgusting that we should need such facilities. But we do. And it is because of people like you. What I cannot understand is why a smart creature like yourself cannot use your bravery and courage to do something positive? Now you've gotten yourself into something that I cannot get you out of."

The centaur stared at Jatari with eerie calm. "Are you going to lecture me to death?"

"To tell the truth, I have never killed anyone before. I had planned to let one of my soldiers do it. But if I were to do that, they would think me weak. So as much as I do not want to-"

"Don't lie, you wench! You want to kill me every bit as much as I want to kill you, and you know it!"

"I don't want to kill you at all. And I cannot help but wonder why you hate me so?"

"I hate your people because of what you did to my people," said the centaur. "Because you took our land and killed our King. I hate you because you killed my father and mother, and have made me suffer my entire life."

"Your people have killed enough of my people too! This land was given to us by the Spirits, and that is the nature of war. But I did not kill your parents. I did not take your lands. I asked why you hated _me_."

The centaur didn't speak, so Jatari continued. "If you separate me from my people, you have no reason to hate me. I must admit that I have known few centaurs that I like, but if I separate you from your people, I have no reason to hate you either. With a little forgiveness and a little understanding, we could possibly have coexisted."

"I hate you because Aslan hates you!" shouted the centaur. "And Aslan hates you because you are a minotaur! Your people do not belong to him! You came with the witch; you must die with the witch!"

"Well, I am sorry you feel that way," replied Jatari. "I want you know that I forgive you for your hatred, and that I wish there was some other way. But murder and treason are not mine to forgive." Rising slowly from her chair, Jatari drew her sword, and calmly approached the centaur. He began to furiously recite some praise to the Lion. She raised her sword, and took his head clean off.

The next few days saw many creatures coming to Cair Paravel. With the radicals and demon lion at large, the country was not safe. Everyone who was deemed unfit for battle was told to seek safety at the citadel; the very old, the very young, some sick, some crippled, and many females.

During these days the council anxiously awaited news of victory. They met numerous times, discussing everything from refugee accommodations to the impending victory celebration.

During one of these meetings, the great mahogany doors were opened, and a wolf came panting inside the council chamber.

"Well it's about bloody time!" said an old dwarf rising to his feet. "What news, scout?"

"The White Army," panted the wolf, with his head low to the ground, "has fallen!"

Nobody spoke; every single council member just stared with disbelief. Jatari almost wanted to laugh. This was impossible.

"Fallen?"

"How could the army fall?"

"Page!" shouted Jatari, "send word to my Father at once," she ordered. "And summon the prophetess and my sergeants!"

"Milady, they will kill your messengers," said the wolf; his eyes on the floor. "They've killed them all; The Queen, Otmin, Astriul, Brasstus, Omiur, Felishia, Grimshac; they are all dead! The enemy General sent me here to tell you that the city must be abandoned, or he will kill the rest of us too!"

The cat Lucius rose in his chair and placed his front paws on the table. "I don't know what game you play, wolf. But know this, if we find out that you are in any way false, you are going to wish you had never been born! The mother prophetess is on her way, and she will tell us if you lie. Now please, tell us from the beginning."

"Last night, as the prophetess foretold, our Queen killed the demon lion at the stone table. Shortly after that, the muster was complete and at sunrise, the White Army was amassed on the plains of Beruna. There we did battle with our enemies. It seemed an easy fight, and we drove them to the bluffs within an hour. Their numbers were depleted, and victory was certain. Then we heard a terrible roar! Another lion had come, and he brought thousands of soldiers. I was with Commander Astriul, and we watched as the lion rushed ahead and killed the Queen. Thousands of our soldiers fell. From our vantage point we could also see many soldiers retreating for the forest, but these were chased down and killed. Astriul gave up her weapon, and we surrendered. Thousands of us were taken as prisoners.

"We were segregated into groups, and we could hear more killing. The other groups of prisoner may have become scared and violent, or maybe our enemies just killed them. I don't know, but Astriul continually urged us to not fight. Then the centaur general came to us. He asked if there was a leader among us, and Astriul stood. Her hands were tied behind her back, and she was brought to the centaur. He talked to her for a moment, and she pointed at me. The enemies brought me forward, and the centaur asked me if I wanted to live through the day. He told me I was to come here and give you this message; that anyone still here must leave Narnia at once. They are not interested in prisoners or surrender. He killed Astriul right before my eyes. He cut off her head, while her hands were still tied. They killed everyone who surrendered."

"Impossible, I say!" shouted the raven. "I will fly to Beruna myself before I believe a word of it!"

Suddenly the chamber doors opened and a child minotaur came rushing in. "The mother prophetess is dead!" the creature cried. "She has fallen from the great tower."

"Fallen?"

"Or thrown herself?"

Jatari tried to ask where her sergeants were, but her voice cracked out and then her eyes burst into hot tears and she couldn't see.

"If everything is as you say, and the Army has fallen and the Queen is dead, why should we leave?" asked Lucious. "We can hold them out of this place until some sort of peace agreement is made. Commander, how long do you suppose your soldiers can defend the castle?"

Jatari wanted to say that it would depend on the size of the attack force, but her voice failed her. Everyone turned to look at her, and saw the tears running down her face.

"Our brave ceremonial defender, precious daughter of Otmin, has been reduced to a blubbering mess," mocked the raven. "A great purpose she serves indeed!"

"Ha!" exclaimed the otter. "A useless plan that was. But she is alive, so it worked."

"Leave her cry, you cruel beasts," said Lucuis. "Let us focus on the topic at hand. I say we close the gates and prepare for a siege. I personally don't think they will want to attack their precious Cair Paravel."

"How long can we feed the people here?"

"Three weeks, no problem. Longer if need be."

"I have no doubt that we can sort out a surrender agreement in a couple of days. A siege will not last long," said Lucius calmly.

"No, no, no!" exclaimed the wolf. "He said no mercy. The centaur said they would kill anyone they found here!"

"That is evil even beyond what even the Queen would do," said the raven.

"You shouldn't say such things about the Queen!" said the otter, totally aghast.

"What difference if she is dead? Might as well say it now. She was terribly cruel."

The council continued to question the wolf for some time. A harpy was instructed fly to Beruna, to get confirmation. But while she was gone, several other creatures arrived at Cair, all saying the same thing; the Queen was dead. The harpy never did return.

Within hours the citadel was evacuating; word spread like wildfire. Jatari pulled herself together, and assembled her small army in the courtyard. She became determined that she finally had a purpose in the whole thing. Whatever people remained with her, she would see them safely to the wilderness beyond the western border. Of course, the enemy was in the west, but also a little north, so they would head southwest towards the woods. Her concern now was that her soldiers would desert her; flee into the woods and fend for themselves. But most of them were loyal, stubborn old creatures, and when Jatari gave the opportunity to leave, all five hundred stayed. She ordered them to find carts, and to raid the citadel larders.

The council had decided that they would do their best to lead the people as they traveled west. It was nearly dark when Jatari went to tell them it was time to go, but none of them were anywhere to be found. Frustrated, she rushed to her parent's chamber. She took a ring that belonged to her father, and a locket that was her mothers. The ring was too big for all of her fingers, so she put it on the chain with the locket.

Suddenly, Lucius came rushing from around a corner, terribly out of breath. "Thank the Spirits I found you!" he said. "We've got to go! Carry me!" he gasped. "Please!"

Jatari picked up the cat, and promptly started running at the cat's intructions. "Where are we going?"

"The two ships at port have long since taken off," gasped the cat. "But we sent word to Teribinthia, and another ship will be here by morning, or sooner I hope. We have friends in the islands, and can sail north if we need to. We will hide in the caves tonight."

Jatari stopped. "I am not going to leave the people," she said firmly.

"It is every beast for themselves now," said the cat. "We can do nothing for them."

Placing the cat on the ground, Jatari said, "Good luck Lucius, I hope you make it alright."

Lucius saw that there would be no convincing the late general's daughter. Just as well, he thought, as he hadn't told the other councilors yet that he had planned to include her. "May the Spirits be with you, dear child," he said. But then he shook his head and smiled. "I shouldn't call you 'child' any more. I think you are technically _the_ General now." Lucius then trotted off down the torch lit hall; belly swinging back and forth as the ancient bells in Helen's Chapel faintly sang out the evacuation sequence.

Cair Paravel emptied, and the people traveled most of the night. Not everyone from the city stayed with the army. Many scattered north or straight west, but Jatari thought that including her soldiers there were perhaps 1500 people. It was difficult to tell, as nobody was carrying torches. When everyone became terribly slow and hard for her soldiers to pressure on, Jatari called a halt. Many creatures fell asleep right where they were. Others ate some food they had brought with them, but Jatari just sat on a small hill and kept her eyes on Cair Paravel. She judged that they were half way across the bluff ridden plain that separated them from the woods of Forest Lawn.

Then she saw what she was watching for; glints of light coming from inside the great windows of the citadel. The enemy had arrived. The faces of the council members hiding in the caves flashed in Jatari's mind. Had the ship come? Were they safe? If not, it served them right, she thought.

She blew the horn she now carried on her hip, and her soldiers began to rouse the people. It took longer than she wanted to get everyone moving, but move they did. Shortly after the sun was up, Jatari saw two gryphons who circled her procession, well out of range of arrows, and then they flew back towards Cair. At about this point in the day, the procession crested a ridge, and could no longer see the citadel behind them. Jatari left two young wolves at this vantage point, so that they could warn them if they saw pursuers.

Sometime between ten and noon, Jatari saw her wolves coming back. She called her sergeants and a hag, and they waited for what could only be bad news. The young wolves crested the nearest bluff, and came panting up.

"The enemy Cavalry will be just behind us," said the female. "Centaurs and unicorns, horses, lions and leopards, gryphons; anything that can run fast! It won't take them long to catch us."

"We have to get the people to the forest. Tell them to drop everything heavy and run for it!" said Jatari. The captains saluted and rushed off. Jatari turned to the hag. "Fredah, what of the Lion? I am hearing rumors that he is the demon our Queen killed. Are we fighting an immortal evil?"

The hag closed her eyes and spoke with soft words; "Aslan, as he is called, is not with our pursuers. The demon and the four human creatures are just leaving Beruna. The fight we face will be bound by the laws of nature."

"Then we stand a chance."

Word spread that the enemy was coming. Some creatures dropped their burdens and ran for the woods, others refused to go on, for stubbornness or lack of strength.

One of the captains, Sibra, approached Jatari. "We are not going to make it to the cover of the forest," the tigress said calmly. "Not without abandoning many people."

"I know," said Jatari. "I'm not abandoning anyone. Better get Swiftclaw and assemble the army. We are going to slow those evil creatures down."

The army formed up and Jatari made her plan. Between her soldiers and the civilians that wished to remain and fight she estimated that she had over a thousand creatures. She brought these to the top of a shallow hill. There was really nowhere to hide, so she thought if her enemies had to run up a hill it would be to her ultimate advantage. She positioned the hundred arches she had in some bluffs some distance to the right. It was her hope that the enemy would engage her army, instead to skirting around and killing her people still trying to make it to the forest.

From her vantage point on the hill, she could see the enemy army coming. Switfclaw was by her side. "They will be tired from pursuing us," he said, in his old, gruff voice.

"Werewolves have good eyes, how many do you think there are?" asked Jatari.

"Five thousand, perhaps. But five thousand exhausted soldiers are not worth five hundred trained veterans."

Jatari knew the old werewolf was humouring her. How much better could her soldiers be? They'd had little to no sleep and had traveled all night. 'Trained veterans' were hardly the words she would have used to describe her soldiers anyways. But she appreciated the optimism.

Sibra approached. "We'll make them pay, Jatari, pay for what they did to your mother and father; for what they did to my sons and your brothers," she said. "We'll make 'em pay."

After that they watched in silence as the enemy got closer and closer. Jatari felt a fear she had never experienced before. It rose up from her stomach and flowed everywhere in her body; making her hands shake and her feet sweat and her head to ache. She looked behind at her soldiers, and saw what she expected was the same fear in their eyes. And then she caught sight of Sibra. She showed no fear, only silent anger. That was what Jatari needed; anger. That was what the entire army needed.

She stepped forward and addressed her army. "Soldiers of the Royal Army of Narnia!" she shouted. "I was really angry when I was told I wasn't allowed to go to war! I wanted to fight. But I am even angrier now, and you should be too! The enemy has killed our families, destroyed our homes, and now they come for us! But we are going to make it cost them! Today we will show them what bravery is! We will not flee before them! We will not abandon our weak, our old, or our sick! Today, we fight, ONE – LAST - TIME! Let's give them a battle cry that with go with them to their graves!"

The entire army shouted with all their might. The white tigers and minotaurs roared, the wolves howled, the harpies cried out with high pitched shrieks, and every creature made as much noise as they could. Spear butts were forced deeper into the ground. Everyone braced for impact. As the distance between the armies diminished, the crescendo rose. Both sides were shouting for all they were worth. There was the twang and zip of the archers, and the screams of the dying, but Jatari didn't hear anything.

All she could hear was the beating of her heart in her own ears.

A huge centaur was coming straight at her. At the last moment he darted to the side to miss her spear, but Jatari moved like lightning. The centaur was gored to her hands. The force of impact bowled her to the ground, trapping her beneath the flailing, dying centaur. Hooves and feet tramped around her and flew past with a whirring, beating, and chaotic rhythm, as the enemy army crashed into her own. Jatari squirmed, still trapped beneath the centaur, who, though mortally wounded, still kicked and fought. She cranked her neck around and, writhing and flailing her head, she attacked his face and neck with her horns. He slowly stopped struggling and Jatari felt that she was almost free.

Suddenly pain engulfed her senses. She cried out in agony as a unicorn galloping past crushed her left wrist. She pulled in arm in, gave one last shove, and found she was free of the centaur. She managed to stand.

Hearing her scream, the unicorn turned around. It galloped towards her, leapt over a dead ogre, and came sailing through the air towards her with its horn lowered.

Jatari didn't have time to think. In one motion she leapt to the side and drew the sword from her back. She hacked at its head as the unicorn went past; severing it almost completely.

For the next few minutes Jatari fought for her life. She was a gruesome sight. The top of her head and her horns were covered in blood from the first centaur she killed. Many of Oreius' men fell, the grisly face of Jatari being the last thing they saw of the physical world.

Then, far off to her senses Jatari heard someone shouting. "Take half the men, we are almost finished here. Go after the rest who are still fleeing for the woods!"

Jatari right away guessed that this was the enemy general talking to someone else of high command. She turned to look.

There, about fifty feet away, was a centaur. Another centaur was just leaving him. Jatari cradled her injured arm close to her, and began making her way through the battle towards the enemy General. Suddenly, she saw a streak of white flying through the air. It was Sibra. She was soaring straight for the enemy general's face, claws outstretched and mouth wide open.

Jatari watched it all. It happened so fast there was nothing she could do, not even shout. Had the General been a little slower, or Sibra a little younger, the enemy centaur would have been dead, his throat ripped out before he could even raise his sword. But he didn't raise his sword. Instead, he swung it around beside himself and brought it smashing down into Sibra's face. It buried itself deep, and Sibra's body crashed into the General's chest and then fell to the ground. Oreius raised his sword, and forced it through the tigress's heart. He placed a front hoof on her body, and pulled his weapon free.

By the time Jatari could even scream in anger the distance between the two leaders was gone. She let out a roar that she didn't even know she was capable of and brought her sword singing straight for the centaur's neck. He saw her coming however and blocked expertly, nimbly catching her in the chin with his sword hilt a moment later. She staggered back a pace. They attacked each other again, swords singing. The centaur used is hind legs and sheer mass to bowl Jatari to the side. His sword glanced across her chest armor and cut into her good arm. She cried out in pain.

Oreius turned deftly and kicked out at his opponent with both back feet. Jatari felt the hooves thunder into her chest. She couldn't breathe! Her sword was also not in her hand anymore. The centaur had turned around and Jatari now stood with wide eyes and open mouth as he drove his sword through her armor and into her chest. Jatari stared into her opponent's eyes for a moment, then Oreius pulled his sword free and Jatari fell. Oreius galloped away.

Suddenly, Jatari coughed up blood and her breath came back. She quickly became aware that every part of her was in pain, white hot pain in her chest, arms, legs, and head. Her throat and nose were full of something wet and sticky; blood. She felt she was drowning in it. Her every breath sounded like someone breathing through runny snot. She tried to get up, but as soon as she did so she blacked out.

Her vision returned after what seemed only like seconds later. Her memory of the battle flooded back. She resigned herself to wait for death. With great effort she turned her head slightly so she wouldn't drown in her own blood pool. Nobody was fighting around her anymore. There were just bodies. She could still hear sound of battle, but over time even that faded away from her. Finally she was sure the enemy had moved on. With agonizing effort, and in tremendous pain, she managed to drag herself a few feet to where a dead horse was. She struggled to prop herself up on it, so at least she was in a sitting position. She passed out again.

When she woke up everything was as it was before. There were bodies everywhere. Jatari's eyes wandered under droopy eyelids. She was cold, and in terrible pain. Movement was impossible.

The sun was setting. She stared at it, shining in its yellow brilliance on the horizon before her. Her brain refused to think, but she appreciated the warmth it seemed to send directly to her. The light seemed to quiver and move, but she didn't think about it. Suddenly she realized that the shimmering in the light was actually something walking towards her. The light was too bright for her to make out what it was. But the closer the light came, the better she felt. Her pain steadily eased. And then suddenly, with brilliant clarity, she saw exactly what it was; it was The Lion.

She didn't feel fear, as maybe she should have. She bowed be head and closed her eyes, waiting for the end. Surely the Lion would kill her, and then it would be finished. She felt him getting nearer. The warm feeling got stronger and she could feel his breath. She kept her eyes closed and her head bowed. She couldn't look on him.

"Get up," said a kind, strong voice. "Come with me, my daughter."

Jatari had lost every shred of common sense she had. She didn't question where they would go, what they would do once they got there, or _why_ she wanted so badly to go. All she knew was that she _did_ want to go. There was nothing in the world she wanted worse right at that moment.

She opened her eyes and looked into Lion's beautiful face. She suddenly felt a sense of worthlessness in His majestic presence.

"I am sorry, my Lord," she said. "I am not worthy to go with you, for as long as I have known your name, I have hated you. I don't anymore, I mean I can't anymore. But I did." Jatari wished she could cry or run away or just stop talking. Above all, she wished that she could look away from the great Lion's face, but found she couldn't. Still fully expecting the creature to kill her, it was yet impossible for her to take her adoring eyes away from his.

"My child," replied the Lion. "You have not hated me. You have only hated the thing that _others_ have told you I am. Nobody has ever told you who I really am. How can you hate what you do not know?"

"Why would you ask me to go with you if I have never known you?"

"My child, it is not for your knowing me that I would welcome you, but rather because I know you. I have always known you, and now you may always know me."

Jatari bowed her head in sudden shame. The Lion bade her to speak her thoughts, and she reluctantly said: "If you have always known me, then you know the terrible things I've done, and how I have hurt your children."

"Yes, my child, I know. And I know your kindness as well. But again, it is not for the things you have or haven't done that you may come with me, but for the things that _I_ have done. Come."

Epilogue

And so it was that Jatari, daughter of Otmin and the last General of Jadis' Army, died on the battle field. Oreius led his cavalry on against the rest of the fleeing creatures, and few survived. However, some managed to hide or run, and Oreius only had so much time to search the forest before he had to turn back for the Coronation.

And so began the time known to many as the Golden Age; the first years of which Oreius and the Pevensie's spent hunting down and eradicating the "remnants" of Jadis' era.


End file.
